Back to Bay City
by Stelena-Beautiful
Summary: What life in Bay City might be like in the year 2011. Repost.
1. Chapter 1

**Back to Bay City**

_**I decided to repost this (in fact, I never should have taken it down!) because I am considering doing a longer sequel to it. For now, enjoy it as it is! P.S. I borrowed a character from General Hospital's history for this. Thank you for checking it out.**_

**Part 1 of 3**

The invitations had been sent out weeks before and the majority of them came back with R.S. . Ally Fowler was naturally thrilled to open them and see that so many people from her past were coming to the wedding. The only R.S.V.P. missing was one from her father, Sam. Sam who had abandoned the family so long ago for a stupid country music career that went nowhere …

However, she was determined not to dwell on it. Not when she had the perfect fiancée in Jason Quartermaine. He was everything a young woman could ask for – kind, courteous, loyal, handsome and most of all, loving. Remy Woods, her best friend, liked to joke that he was a regular boy scout. Remy still had her impertinent, irreverent sense of humor that she had apparently inherited from her biological mother, Paulina. They had made peace over the years and were now close as Ally and her own mother, Amanda.

"Speaking of Mom, where'd she go?" Ally wondered aloud as she set aside the three inch high stack of R.S. and looked around the grand Hutchins-Cory mansion.

As if on cue, Amanda bustled into the mansion . "Hello, sweetie," she greeted her daughter, her daughter who looked so much like Amanda herself except around the eyes where she was all her father. Sometimes it hurt to look into Ally's eyes and see her past staring back at her. A past she had tried so hard to forget …

Amanda sighed internally, chasing away her ridiculously melancholy thoughts and pulled a box out from behind her back.

"Is that for me?" Ally asked with a wide smirk. She definitely had her dad's dimples as well…

"Of course," Amanda said. "I'm not the bride-to-be."

Ally smiled as Amanda passed the box to her. It was beautifully wrapped in white and gold foil paper. "Can I open it?"

"Don't you want to wait for Jason?"

"No, the wedding is three days away, Mom. We are trying to stay apart so that we can really appreciate our honeymoon … if you know what I mean."

Amanda nodded. "Oh," she said simply and laughed.

"Who's it from?"

"Your grandmother," Amanda said.

"Why is she sending it so early?" Ally asked as she began to tear open the package. "And why didn't she just give it to me herself?"

"She just said the bride-to-be deserved to be spoiled."

Ally laughed and opened the box. Inside was an expensive French bath and beauty set. "Wow," Ally said. "Is she trying to say I need a bath?"

Amanda chuckled. "Hardly. She just wants you to pamper yourself."

"That's grandma for you," Ally said with a wide smile and set the gift aside. "When does she get back from the office?"

"In an hour or so."

"Awesome."

"So for now, what else do we need to do, daughter of mine?" Amanda asked.

"I think we can relax," Ally said. "For now."

Amanda nodded. "Okay, sounds great."

XoXoXo

Lila Winthrop woke up to find herself entangled in the limbs of her husband, Cass. "Mmmm," she said.

He smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

"Fabulously after last night," she said with a purr and a wide grin.

"Good. I am glad we understand each other again."

"Oh we certainly do," Lila said in her Southern accent. "We most certainly do."

Theirs was a complicated relationship but ultimately a loving one. Cass knew he had found his soul mate in Lila, his second chance after losing Frankie so viciously and cruelly years before. True, Lila and Cass fought a lot but their makeups were more than worth it. Lila was still volatile as ever and quick to scheme and throw around her weight but Cass loved her. Every single inch of her, even when she was unnecessarily jealous of his continued friendship with Felicia Gallant. That had caused their most recent argument, the fact that Cass was representing Felicia in a copyright infringement case, but now things were healed. For the moment. Nothing would ever be simple between them with a man as headstrong as Cass and a woman as impetuous as Lila but they belonged together and nothing would ever change that.

And at the upcoming Fowler/Quartermaine wedding, he intended to ask his wife an important question.

XoXoXo

Donna held her granddaughter's Michelle's hand as they left the symphony hall in New York City. Her daughter Marley was right beside her holding Bridget's hand. The girls naturally protested that they were too old to hold hands with their relatives but Donna and Marley insisted that on these busy streets, it was a necessity. Maybe Marley and Donna subconsciously realized that sometimes they held on so tight to the twins because they didn't want to lose them the way they had the twin's mother, Vicky. But if they thought it they didn't say so.

They hailed a taxi cab and everyone road in near-silence as they were driven to their upper eastside hotel suite.

Upon arriving, the twins immediately jumped out of the taxi and ran into the building. There was in-house Wi-Fi and they had both brought their laptops and wanted to IM their friends back in Bay City right away.

Donna and Marley slowly followed them inside and took up residence on the sofa. They didn't say anything for a long time until Marley turned to face her mother. "Do you think we're making a mistake?"

Donna watched Marley's contorted face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean … Do you think we're making a mistake with the girls? Teaching them that every time things get rough the not-so-tough get going."

"You mean to say, we are running from our problems?" Donna said. "Now would we ever do that?"

"Yes," Marley said with a weak smile. "Bridge and Miche need stability. We can't pull them out of Bay City every time we get a little restless."

"This was your idea, Marley …"

"I know, Mom, I know. It's just that I wonder sometimes. Jamie and I have been separated for months but we're doing okay, working towards reconciliation, and then the wedding invite arrives in the mail …"

Donna nodded. "I know. I know."

And she did. They both did. Whenever there was a happy or festive occasion in Bay City, they ran for the hills. Somehow feeling that it was unfair to their Vicky and Jake to enjoy themselves in any way. Vicky had been cut down in the prime of her life, her husband Jake as well, and it hurt still ten years later. They had "survivor's guilt" according to their joint therapist and they felt guilt that they hadn't always accepted wild, free-spirited and crazy Vicky Hudson-McKinnon as she was.

Marley looked over at her mother again with tears pooling in her green eyes. "It's not too late you know."

"To attend the wedding?"

"That too. But I mean, it's not too late to start living again."

Donna smiled and wiped away her own stream of tears. "Vicky would want that for us wouldn't she?"

Marley nodded. "Most definitely."


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2 of 3**

The day of the wedding dawned bright and sunshiny just as Ally had hoped it would. Unable to sleep any longer, she climbed out of her big four poster bed and moved over to the window seat. She was soon imagining what her life with Jason would be like. She was scared the marriage wouldn't last but she was determined that she would never walk away from Jason the way her father had her mother. She would fight for her marriage and her family the way Sam Fowler never had.

She didn't know why she was thinking about her father so much lately but there it was. He should have been the one walking her down the aisle - not Cameron - but she realized now that it was all a pipe dream. She wouldn't likely ever see Sam again...

She sighed and turned away from the window just as the door opened and her grandmother strolled in, already dressed in a blue dress and high heels. Even in her late seventies, Rachel Hutchins still cut quite a distinct figure with her towering height and her thick dark hair that had never seen a lick of gray thanks to a bottle of ever-present number 405 russet brown. Rachel swooped over to Ally and gave her a big hug. "Good morning, lovely girl," she said. "Oh no. Are those tears I see? I hope those are happy tears."

Ally dabbed at her face, not even realizing she had been crying. "Yeah, happy tears ..."

Rachel nodded. "You don't have to put on a show for me. Tell me - do you have cold feet?"

Ally promptly shook her head. "No, actually not at all. I just wish my dad could have bothered to send an R.S.V.P. and say he was coming. I really hoped for once he would put me first and be here to walk me down the aisle."

Rachel smoothed down Ally's bed-rumpled hair. "I know, dear. Sam - oh Sam, I don't know what happened to him. He used to be the grounding influence for your mother and now she's the mature one. She's not nearly as flighty as she used to be -"

"Who are you calling flighty?" Amanda's voice came from the doorway.

Rachel turned and looked at her daughter without the slightest hint of embarrassment on her face. "I meant you. You've matured and I'm very proud of you, Amanda."

Amanda smiled widely. "Was that a genuine compliment from Rachel Cory Hutchins?"

Ally looked between her mother and grandmother. "Do I have to referee you two on my wedding day of all days?"

Amanda pooh-poohed the question. "Of course not. Mother and I are much better off than we used to be. Once she learned to accept Cameron as a permanent fixture in my life and started to see me as less 'flighty' ..."

Rachel waved her hand dismissively. "Oh get over here, you silly girl," she said and embraced Amanda. "It's your daughter's wedding day and neither of us will dare ruin it for her."

"You'd better not," a voice came from the doorway. Ally turned around and spotted her best friend standing there with a hand-held hair drier in her either of her hands. "I have these babies and I'm not afraid to use them if anyone ruins Ally's special day."

Rachel shook her head. "Good morning to you too, Remy."

"Why thank you," Remy said with a wide smile. "As maid of honor it's my prerogative to be bitchy and order people around."

"Don't mess with her," Ally warned with a smile.

"Damn right," Remy said and moved into the room, lightly hugging Ally around the shoulders. "Your hair is atrocious and your wedding is in two hours. It will take some doing but I think I might be able to rescue it."

Ally laughed and soon enough, the wedding preparations were in full swing.

XoXoXo

Paulina and Joe Carlino walked onto the grounds of the Cory Estate holding hands and looking every bit the happy couple. Paulina was obviously pregnant - close to bursting as she put it - and Joe kept asking her if she was okay. She kept saying she was fine, just fine, and could her husband stop worrying about her? She may be nine months pregnant but she wasn't going to give birth right there on the lawn during the ceremony. Amanda and Ally might never forgive her and Rachel definitely wouldn't. While it was true Rachel and Paulina mostly got along now, they still had their catty moments and Paulina could easily envision Rachel accusing her of going into labor just to upstage the beautiful bride.

"Let me get you a drink," Joe said once he and Paulina had taken a seat in the back row (this was for the reason that Paulina might have to run to the bathroom at any minute being that their little bambina was always pressing on her bladder now).

Paulina smiled. "Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, alcohol and a baby -"

Joe chuckled. "I meant water or something. You look hot and tired."

"The sun is awfully bright, even under the gazebo, what can I say?" Paulina said. "All I need is my husband and to make it through the ceremony without having to pee twenty times and I'll have it all."

Joe smiled and leaned over, kissing her forehead. "Remy's gonna be here. You ready to see her?"

Paulina smiled. "Yeah. We made peace again after our fight last weekend. It was so petty too. She thought I was putting too much pressure on Dante to be what I want him to be - her words - and I disagreed as usual but we are in a better place for every fight we have I think. We after all these years are getting used to each other. I'm me and she's her - a restless hippy soul - and that's okay by me."

XoXoXo

Carl Hutchins stood under the shade of a juniper tree, casually sipping a scotch on the rocks, watching the proceedings. Everyone was in a tizzy over the wedding and he was supposed to be helping people find seats but he preferred to just be a voyeur on the activities today. He normally liked to be in the thick of things, stirring up all kinds of devious trouble, but he figured at his age, he should perhaps start slowing down a bit. Rachel was always bothering him about cutting down on the liquor and taking care of himself, but he had determined long ago that he was going to enjoy his later years as much as he could.

He spotted the nervous-looking groom walking onto the property, trailed by a gaggle of his squabbling relatives. He reasoned they would all fit in just fine. The Cory-Hutchins' family was nothing if not contentious too at times. It was sometimes a wonder how they made it through the holidays without murdering each other but they always did and were somehow stronger for it.

Carl smiled as he noticed his own beautiful bride of many years walk out of the house and move over to him. "Carl, liquor? Already? It's barely noon," she chided.

"Rachel, dearest, its one drink and it's my way of getting through the day. You know big social occasions are hardly my natural habitat."

Rachel smiled. "Oh please. I can remember plenty of times you tried to command a room - even by force."

Carl chuckled. "Indeed. But I've grown a bit, Rachel. I'm older and I like to think wiser."

Rachel nodded. "I like to think that about myself too. I hope I'm not still the angry, resentful girl running around trying to make everyone love me. Because I didn't have a father to call my own. Thank the Lord Ally is exactly the opposite of me at her age."

"You had much more humble beginnings," Carl pointed out.

"Yes I did. And now I have it all. What more could I ever ask for?"

XoXoXo

"It's wedding march time," Remy announced commandingly as she finished fluffing Ally's long train. "You ready?"

Ally nodded. "Yes, yes I am."

"Where's Cameron?" Remy asked. "Shouldn't he be back? He said he was going to just check on the group downstairs and would be right back but -" Remy broke off as she noticed Ally's bright blue eyes go wide. "Al?"

Remy whipped around to see Cameron and another man, a tall dark-haired man with a bushy handlebar mustache move into the room. "Who's that?" Remy asked, lightly jabbing Amanda in the side. Amanda had the same shocked and awed expression on her face.

"That's ... That's Ally's father," Amanda answered. "That's Sam Fowler."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_****The last part is here – FINALLY! Thanks for reading, everyone. I may do a new Another World fic very soon. Maybe even a sequel to this hehe… Let me know if you would like that!****_

**Part 3 of 3**

Everyone seemed to be holding their collective breaths as Sam inched more into the room. Finally, it was Sam himself who spoke up first. "Sorry to just drop in like this but I couldn't miss the chance to see my baby girl get hitched." His dark eyes fell on Ally in her white gown. "My god, you're so grown up. You're so lovely."

"I can't believe you're here," Ally finally spoke. "Someone pinch me … Am I dreaming?"

Remy quickly obliged and pinched Ally so hard she yelped. "Okay I'm not dreaming," she said, giving her best friend a warning look before turning back to look at her father. "I still can't believe you're here. I tried to call you and write you… so many times…"

"I know," Sam said, looking down at his feet for a few moments. "But I am here now, thanks to Cameron."

All eyes moved to Cameron then and he shifted from foot to foot. "Cameron, what is Sam talking about?" Amanda asked.

Cameron didn't answer right away so Sam spoke again. "Let's just say he came to see me recently and said all the things that hit me right where I lived and I knew then I had to stop being a coward and come back." He looked at Ally with misty eyes. "I hope it's not too late to get to know your grown up person, Ally."

A tear dripped down Ally's cheek. "It's not. It's never too late." In the past she had imagined reaming him out a million times for abandoning her and her mother but today she was marrying the love of her life and all she wanted was for her father to walk her down the aisle. But she didn't want to hurt Cameron's feelings either so she was torn.

Amanda's look of disbelievingly anger melted away a bit and she said softly, "I am glad you could make it here today, Sam."

"Me too, Amanda," Sam said to his ex-wife. She had once been his everything and vice versa but he told himself he was glad she had found happiness with this Cameron guy. He seemed like a decent enough man.

"Dad, Cameron, will you both walk me down the aisle today?" Ally said.

Cameron looked at Ally. "We both don't have to…"

"Yes you both do," Ally said. "It would mean a lot to me. Besides, if one of you is on one side and one on the other, I can't faint from nervousness."

"You'll be okay, baby girl," Sam said. "Just tell me this guy you're marrying treats you right – better than I ever did your mom." He looked at Amanda apologetically.

Ally stepped forward then. "He treats me like a princess, Dad – no, a queen," she said.

Remy nodded. "He does cause I wouldn't have let her marry him if he didn't."

Remy's words caused a ripple of laughter to spread through the room and helped loosen everyone up. "Good," Remy said. "We're all less rigid now. But we do have a wedding to go through and Al's makeup is all runny now. Give me five minutes though and I can fix it!"

XoXoXo

Marley and Donna and the twins walked onto the grounds at the Cory-Hutchins estate and immediately drew curious looks. They knew people weren't used to seeing them on happy occasions so it was a shock. Right away, Rachel started over to them.

"Oh here comes your mother in law dearest," Donna said.

"I heard that," Rachel said. She and Donna had never been very close despite the many years their families' had been intertwined.

"Well at your age I'm surprised," Donna snarked. "They say hearing is the first thing to go…"

"Grandma!" The twins cried out in embarrassment.

"No worries, girls, your grandmother and I are just teasing each other good-naturedly. Right, Donna?" Rachel said.

"Right…"

"Anyway, I know Ally will be glad you came," Rachel said. She looked at Marley. "Jamie's inside the gazebo somewhere."

Marley nodded. "Thank you for letting me know, Rachel."

Rachel nodded too and turned and walked off. The twins started ahead as Donna and Marley fell into step beside each other. "Are you nervous to see Jamie?"

"You mean since I ran off on him a while ago?" Marley asked. Donna nodded. "Yes. I just hope if there's a way to make things right between us, we can."

"I think there is," Donna said as she gestured ahead where Jamie was coming towards them with a quietly hopeful expression on his face. "He still loves you, Marley," Donna whispered. "If I have learned anything, it's that life is fleeting and you need to grab onto happiness while you can."

Marley looked at her Mom and nodded. She then ran to Jamie and threw her arms around him, grabbing onto her own version of happiness. His arms slid around her lean waist then and he held her close to him. This time he didn't intend to let her go.

XoXoXo

The wedding march began to play then and people quickly scrambled for their seats. Somehow Felicia and her new boy toy Hans ended up sandwiched beside Cass and Lila and the women exchanged barbs until Rachel was giving them both the evil eye.

Then everyone turned to see the bride being led by her father and stepfather down the aisle. Eyes went wide but no one spoke as Sam and Ally looked at each other with happiness evident in their eyes.

Finally they reached the altar where a beaming Jason stood, gazing at his bride adoringly. Sam took Ally's hands and linked them with Jason's and then he and Cameron moved off to the side with Amanda. The priest asked, "Who gives the bride away?"

Cameron looked at Amanda and Sam pointedly and together the three said, "We do."

XoXoXo

The bride and groom were in the midst of their first dance when the whimpers started. Before long, they were cries of indignant pain. "Oh god, my water broke!" Paulina screamed out then and immediately there was a flurry of activity all around her.

"I'll get you to the hospital," Joe promised but Paulina shook her head.

"No, I won't make it. This baby is coming now."

"Right on the lawn?" Rachel asked, stalking over. "Seriously, Paulina, upstaging my granddaughter and your own niece…"

Through gritted teeth, Paulina bit out, "It wasn't planned… okay … Uh…Ooh!" She clutched her abdomen.

Rachel sighed. "You really are in labor aren't you?"

"Uh huh!" Paulina cried.

Rachel looked at Joe. "Let's get her into the house so we don't traumatize all the children here." She waved to John Hudson who was already on his way over. "Do you have your medical bag?" She asked.

"I never travel without it. It's in the car."

"I'll get it for you," Matthew Cory offered. He then took off like a shot as Joe and Carl helped Paulina into the house.

Rachel laid out a sheet on the sofa and gestured for Paulina to lie down on it. Joe and Carl immediately helped her settle onto it as she screamed in pain. Finally, Rachel grabbed her hand and said, "Squeeze as tightly as you can," she said.

"Why are you helping me, Rachel?" Paulina huffed out.

"You're Mac's daughter, aren't you?" Rachel returned. "This is his grandchild and I am going to love him or her very much."

Paulina's eyes misted with tears. "You're going soft in your old age, Rachel."

"Don't tell anyone," Rachel said winking at her.

XoXoXo

About twenty minutes later, Matthew came out of the house and announced to everyone that the baby was fine.

"Was it a boy or girl?" Felicia asked. "Or maybe twins, considering how big she got…"

Matthew smirked. "I have another niece," he said.

"A girl. How sweet," Ally spoke up. She looked at Remy. "You have a sister."

Remy nodded and said, "I better go meet her, huh?"

"Yes you better," Ally agreed. She gave Remy a hug and then watched her friend take off like a shot towards the house.

Ally felt two strong arms encircle her waist then. She leaned back against her new husband's solid chest. "Sorry for the interruptions but this is Bay City for you," she said with a smile.

"And I thought Port Charles weddings were wild," Jason said. He then spun her around in his arms and gave her a soft yet passionate kiss. When they came up for air he rested his forehead against hers. "We should live here."

"What?"

"We hadn't decided where we would hang our hats so to speak but Bay City … I think right here – this is where we belong."

"Are you sure, Jason? Port Charles is your home."

"Home is wherever you are, Ally," he said and kissed her again.

"I love you, Mr. Quartermaine."

"I love you, Mrs. Quartermaine," he whispered.

XoXoXo

"So Paulina named the baby Mackenzie Rachel?" Lila asked. "Whatever for? I thought she hated Rachel."

Cass interlaced his fingers with Lila's. "I don't think that's true. Besides, the miracle of life has a way of bringing people together." He grinned. "Actually, Lila, I wanted to ask you about that."

"About what?"

"We've got two children between us already but while I still can, I want to make a baby with you."

Lila's eyes misted with tears. "What do you mean while you still can?"

Cass smiled. "Well I'm not a spring chicken – or rooster, actually – anymore."

"Now that's true so I guess we better get working on that baby right now!" Lila said and yanked him by the hand towards the pool house where they sequestered themselves for the rest of the afternoon.

XoXoXo

"What an eventful day, dear," Carl said as later he walked into the house to find Rachel looking at family photos.

"It certainly was," she agreed.

"The return of a prodigal father, a wedding celebration and a life come into the world all on the same day."

"Only in Bay City." She turned to Carl and stepped into his waiting arms. "There really is nowhere else in the world I'd rather be."

"Me either," Carl said. "My wanderlust went dormant years ago when you accepted my marriage proposal. I only want to be where you are."

Rachel smiled. "Me too, Carl, me too."

_**FINIS! For now, anyway lol**_


End file.
